Our Tripper of the Week is an Italian expat living in London. She's an avid traveler with a passion for photography currently working on an exciting video project to be filmed in major cities around the world. Meet Sara Pratelli....

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I grew up in Prato in Tuscany (Italy). Since I was little I have always been fascinated by what could be beyond my city. When I was 15 years old I spent alone two summers in England for holiday studies. I think that, in this experience, something clicked inside me and changed me - the desire to travel, to see new places and meet different cultures.

I studied “History and Criticism of Cinema" at the University of Bologna, but my passion for photography grew in me and after several exhibitions in Italy, Berlin and London. I chose this last location as the place to start my career. So 1 year ago I moved to London. I guess that in UK there are more possibilities to do this kind of job than in Italy.

Photography is your passion and profession. When did you discover your love of photography?

My passion for photography has always been hidden within me, but it exploded in the summer of 2009 while I was in the United States. I felt the need to take pictures, not as tourist, but very special shots that represented my emotions from different angles. Photography is not mechanical. It is possible to read many books about it, but photography is an emotion that there is or not inside each one of us.

What most inspires you when you're behind the camera?

Well, when I take a picture inspires me a place where I am, I love taking pictures of people, freezing their eyes, their smiles, telling a moment. There is nothing that fills me more.

You've traveled to a number of countries in Asia. Which one was your favorite?

Asia has been a pleasant surprise, but the country that I liked in absolute is Thailand - and the island of Bali in Indonesia. These two places have remained in my heart - the spectacular scenery, hospitality and smiles despite the poverty.

My favorite shots are : the first one is a girl playing with soap bubbles in Long Neck Village in Thailand...

...and the second one is a woman washing her clothes in the river after one hard day in the rice fields in Bali.

Tell us about your Converse All Stars project.

I was in Budapest and there I made first video of the project, this is the link: http://vimeo.com/47374842. The title of my project is "Step by step around the world." The principal idea is to move from place to another one through a pair of "All Stars" where change occurs in the background, step by step. It's a different, original and funny way tocapture a place, a city or country.

Now I'm working on the editing of my second video, taken around England that will be released very soon. The idea is to leave soon with my Converse All Stars and make many videos from all major cities of the world. I'm looking for sponsors, so if you're interested contact me. :p

What is the most moving/memorable experience you've had on your travels?

During my trip in Africa in 2010, I went on safari to the Maasai Mara National Reserve. I wad lucky to witness the Great Migration, where millions of Zebra and Wildebeest cross the Mara River to the Serengeti (Tanzania).

It was amazing! I perceived the fear of these animals having to go through the river, knowing that many of them would lose their lives because the crocodiles infested the waters. It was one of the most exciting experiences of my life for now:)

Where are you most excited to travel next?

Asia is the continent that fascinates me more than all the others, therefore I want to know everything about it, so my next trip will be in China, Korea and finally Japan.

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